The Best Boutique Riads and Hotels in Marrakech Right Now

Inside the medina

For under $200 a night, Riad Jardin Secret and Riad BE Marrakech both offer beautifully restored courtyards, excellent breakfast on the roof, and staff who will fetch you at the taxi drop-off — essential in the maze of the souks. Riad 42 is our value pick under $150.

In the $300–500 range, Riad Mena and El Fenn (Vanessa Branson's legendary property) are the two we book most often. El Fenn's rooftop bar is one of Marrakech's great sunset venues and open to non-guests with a reservation.

For a splurge, La Mamounia is a category unto itself — a grand hotel, not a riad, with the best spa in the city and gardens Winston Churchill painted. Book a Baldaquin room in the historic wing, not the modern extension.

Palmeraie and the Ourika road

If you want a pool you can swim laps in, book outside the medina. Beldi Country Club (20 minutes south) and Jnane Tamsna in the Palmeraie are the two Marrakech regulars alternate between. Both have the space and quiet the medina can't offer, and both send drivers to the airport.

What to expect from a riad

Riads are family houses converted to guesthouses, usually with 4–8 rooms. Rooms are small by hotel standards; ceilings are high; walls are thick and quiet. Breakfast on the roof is a given. Most riads offer a home-style dinner (300–500 dirhams) with 24 hours' notice — it's often better than the tourist restaurants around Jemaa el-Fnaa.

Booking tips

Book directly by email when possible: most riads offer a 10–15% discount off Booking.com rates and can arrange the driver at no extra cost. Always ask for a WhatsApp contact and a pin location — Google Maps stops at the edge of the derbs, and the last 200 meters is on foot. Tip the porter who guides you in (20 dirhams).